The Anatomy of a Tank Car - General American

The following pamphlet is something that I have in my collection of various materials. As noted from the cover letter, it was sent to Franklin Creek Refining of Franklin, PA, by Garland Smith, Manager, Repair Sales, of General American Tank Car. The photo above is a GATC Type 30 tank car, like the type profiled in the pamphlet. Photo from my collection

"The Jack Burgess Files" no. 3: GATX 60379 Type 30 Tank Car

All photos -- Newark, California, September, 1968, Jack Burgess photo, except where noted

The lighting and angle at which this photo was taken resulted in a perfect shot of the trademark feature of the Type 30 underframe - the round push pole depressions nested in the diagonally-oriented faces of the body bolsters. See this feature beautifully captured on the body bolster above the left truck in this photo. As this car was 6,579 gallons capacity, it had only a single safety valve on the dome.

By the time of the Type 30 design (1928 through World War Two), GATC had settled on a single, center tank anchor, visible below the ladder and behind the running board, securing the tank to the underframe. This car was built in March, 1930. Note that it used only two tank bands, one located at each bolster. Also, note the fairly long dome step.

GATC designs traditionally eschewed side and end sills, unlike their American Car & Foundry counterparts (see below), in favor of simple supported running boards and a modest steel angle under the running boards at the ends, plus the steel angle spanning the corners of the running boards and angling down to pass under the draft gear, as shown here. Also, note the geared staff-style hand brake.

Collection of Ted Culotta

Contrast the GATC style end arrangement to the AC&F design shown here on a Type 27 tank car, with channel section end sills and side sill sections between the bolsters and the end sills.

This photo provides a great view of the trademark bolster with circular push pole depression on the angled face, as well as the route card board and air release rod, both at extreme left below the running board.

This photo by Jack affords an excellent view of the main brake components, including reservoirs, AB valve mounted directly above the reservoirs, and cylinder with its mounting arrangement clearly visible, as well as the ladder, a portion of the tank anchor, and the placard holder.

I consulted the reprint of Freight Tariff 300-H offered by Ian Cranstone, originally issued September 13, 1955, for tank car capacities. I found a group of 17 cars in the series GATX 60374-60391, with capacity of ~6,580 gallons and dome capacity of 225 gallons. Those cars are highlighted in the relevant page, copied herein. I highly recommend this resource, as well as the earlier 1936 edition, also offered by Ian Cranstone.